The Correct Answer is True.
Most lung cancers do not cause symptoms until they have spread too far to be cured. But symptoms do occur in some people with early lung cancer. Some of the most common symptoms of lung cancer are:
- A cough that does not go away or gets worse
- Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
- Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
- Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
- Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or keep coming back
If you go to a doctor when you first notice symptoms, the cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment works best.
Both current and ex-smokers can get screened for lung cancer, too. Screening gives you a chance to find lung cancer early – when it’s small and easier to treat. Lung cancer screening doesn’t decrease the chance of getting lung cancer, but it can help lower the risk of dying from the disease.
Lung cancer screening isn’t for everyone. The American Cancer Society recommends annual lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT) for certain people at higher risk for lung cancer who meet the following conditions:
- Are 55 to 74 years old and in fairly good health, and
- Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and
- Have at least a 30-pack-year smoking history, and
- Receive smoking cessation counseling if they currently smoke, and
- Have been involved in informed/shared decision making about the benefits, limitations, and harms of screening with LDCT scans, and
- Have access to a high-volume, high quality lung cancer screening and treatment center.
[Regarding at least a 30 pack-year history of smoking: A pack-year is the number of cigarette packs smoked each day multiplied by the number of years a person has smoked. Someone who smoked a pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years has a 30 pack-year smoking history, as does someone who smoked 2 packs a day for 15 years.]
Talk to a doctor to find out if lung cancer screening is right for you.